There are a relatively large number of patents relating to face guards, face masks, goggles and other protective devices designed to protect the face and head during various sports activities. Exemplary of these patents are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,449,183 (Johnstone); 2,020,249 (Shibe); 2,028,462 (Malcolm); 2,502,377 (Goldsmith et al.); 3,608,089 (Abbatelli); Des 237,843 (Peterson et al.); 4,173,795 (Lundin et al.); 4,367,561 (Solari); 4,631,758 (Newman et al.); 4,736,466 (Kallstrom); 4,754,501 (Yahn); 4,933,993 (McClelland); 5,012,527 (Michel); 5,107,543 (Hansen); 5,148,550 (Hodgkinson et al.); 5,267,353 (Milligan); 5,394,564 (Rodriquez); 5,571,217 (Del Bon et al.); and 5,661,849 (Hickes). A further patent of interest here is my U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,371 (Spessard) which relates to a baseball infielder's mask that includes a parallel bar structure across the mouth and nasal portions of the face and a bottom bar adapted to be positioned under the chin.
Although the patents referred to above are of general interest, the most relevant prior art insofar as the present invention is concerned appears to be a previous version of a sports safety mask which was developed by the inventor here and which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. This mask, which is generally denoted 10, is of a hard durable plastic construction including a upper brow portion or brow bar 12, a central nose guard or nose bar 14 and a chin portion or bottom bar 16 formed integrally with side portions or side walls 18.
An eye opening 20 is formed between brow bar 12 and nose guard 14. As shown in FIG. 3, nose guard 14 projects outwardly beyond brow bar 12 and bottom bar 16 and, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, is joined to bottom bar 16 by a pair of lateral spaced connecting elements or struts 22. Struts 22 extend upwardly and outwardly from bottom bar 16 in the vertical orientation of mask 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 so as to divide the area between nose guard 14 and bottom bar 16, i.e., the area of the mouth of a wearer, into three openings 24, 26 and 28.
As can best be seen in FIG. 3, and can also be seen to some extent in FIG. 2, the nose guard 14 is of a generally C-shaped construction formed by upper and lower inwardly extending ridges or ribs 14a defining a channel 14b. As shown in FIG. 3, shallow channels 22a are formed in connecting struts 22.
As shown in FIG. 2, a series of protective pads or cushions, viz., a brow pad 30a, a chin pad 30b, a pair of upper side pads 30c and 30d, and a pair of lower side pads 30e and 30f, are affixed by an adhesive to the inside of mask 10 to provide cushioning of the mask 10 on the face of a wearer. As illustrated, these fixed pads are generally rectangular in shape and are flexible so as to conform to the shape of the part of the mask to which the pads are affixed. Thus, brow pad 30a and chin pad 30b are curved to match the curvature of brow bar 12 and bottom bar 16 while the side pads 30c, 30d and 30e, 30f lie substantially flat against the respective inside surfaces of the side portions 18 of the mask 10.
A pair of raised shield or visor support elements 32a and 32b of a shallow U-shape are provided on respective side portions 18 on opposite sides of eye opening 20. Elements 32a and 32b are used to support opposite ends of an optional clear plastic shield (not shown) which fits over eye opening 20.
Slots 34a and 34b are respectively provided in an upper area of the respective side portions 18. Slots 34a and 34b are used to connect a securing strap (not shown) to the mask 10 with one end of the strap being captured in one of the slots, e.g., slot 34b, and the other end of the strap being looped through the other slot, e.g., slot 34a, and affixed to itself by hooks and loops fasteners, as described in more below in connection with a single one of the fastening straps of the present invention.
Although the mask of FIGS. 1 to 3 has a number of advantages, the mask also suffers important disadvantages disclosed below particularly as a compared with the mask of the present invention.